“Mitchell Henry?” I ask, still getting familiar with all of Elliot’s teammates.
“Yeah, that’s him,” Elliot says, pushing off Blaine to sit back on the cushion. “Damn, I’m gonna really miss him.”
“I know it’s all part of the business, but I hate the trade deadline window. I’m so glad Hayden managed to secure the no-trade clause,” Blaine says with a sigh. He throws his arm around Alex’s shoulder and pulls him closer.
Elliot and I have spoken in detail about what would happen if he gets traded. Not that I think it will happen because he’s currently sitting at the top in the rankings for goals and save percentage, and each season, his stats continue to improve. The Thunder won’t want to let him go.
I leave them to talk about the other trades happening within the league and make a start on dinner. Alex joins me, and he tells me all about the bakery he owns with his brother Jacob.
Once we’re full from dinner and demolishing Alex’s lemon cheesecake, we watch Boston beat Tampa, and then Alex and Blaine get up to head back upstairs to their apartment. As Boomer and Ernie fell asleep shortly after dinner, Blaine ends up having to pick Ernie up because the dog is too stubborn to walk.
“Watch him wake up by the time we go to bed,” Alex says, ruffling the fur on top of Ernie’s head.
We say our goodbyes, and Boomer puts himself to bed while I tidy up.
“Do you think hammerhead sharks have, like, panoramic vision?” Elliot asks from his spot on the couch.
I smile to myself, becoming all too familiar with Elliot’s random questions. I walk over to the couch and rest my hands on the back of the couch next to where he’s lying, scrolling on his phone.
“Uh, I don’t believe they do, no.”
He looks up at me, those gorgeous green eyes gleaming with wonderment. “That’s a shame. It would be cool to have, like, a super-wide shot of everything.”
I press my lips together, trying but failing to stop the grin from splitting my face.
“Come to bed. I’ve got you a gift,” I say, then head down the hall to our room without waiting for him.
“Is it your cock?” he calls after me, the sound of his feet against the hardwood getting louder as he gets closer.
“No, it isn’t.” I huff out a laugh.
Elliot throws himself onto the bed. “Is it a puppy?”
I shake my head. “No, it’s not a puppy.”
His brows furrow slightly as he thinks, then lets out a loud gasp. “Is it an otter?”
I let out a choked laugh, and Elliot slaps his hand against the mattress. “Oh my god, it is!”
Taking the gift bag out of the closet, where I stashed it earlier, I take a seat next to him and hand over the gift bag. He pulls out the tissue paper, then pulls out the soft stuffed otter. It’s wearing a harness similar to what dogs wear, and on the side is a badge that reads “Emotional Support Otter.”
“It’s for when I can’t be there,” I say, hoping he doesn’t think it’s foolish.
Elliot tips his head toward me and smiles so wide, his eyes crease at the corners. “You got me an otter.”
I laugh, nodding softly. “Yeah, I did.”
With the otter still in his hand, he throws his arms around me and pushes me back onto the bed. I sputter when he ends up hitting me in the face with the toy as he climbs on top of me.
“Gah, I love you,” he declares before pressing his lips to mine in a fierce kiss.
“I love you too,” I murmur against his mouth.
“Maybe I’ll make you some blowjob cupcakes for your birthday.”
I pull my head back to look at him. “Some what?”
“Blowjob cupcakes. It’s a whole thing, and it’ll be super messy, but I’d do it for you.”
